RIDGWAY, Pa. (EYT) – Ridgway residents Barbara “Barb” Warmbier Whitehouse and Gloria Almquist-Shull will be co-directing a special performance called A Day of Remembrance as a way to honor first responders who lost their lives on 9/11.
(Pictured above: Rev. Christopher McCloskey and Barb Warmbier Whitehouse, organizers of the A Day of Remembrance performance.)
The choir will be performing on Saturday, September 11, at 1:30 p.m at St. Tobias Church in Brockway with the performance expected to last about one hour. Initially, the performance was slated to be held outside, but it has since moved to St. Tobias Church due to expected poor weather.
“We are all so thankful to Pastor Monsignor Kaza for allowing us to move the performance there. The church sounds wonderful to play in and is acoustically perfect. It is an interesting and stunning building,” said Warmbier Whitehouse.
Beginning at noon that day, two fire trucks, an ambulance, and several police cars will be staged out front of St. Tobias Church as a symbol of respect to first responders. The concert will be free to the public, but an offering is appreciated and will be benefiting the Salvation Army of Ridgway and Brockway.
The Salvation Army helped to print the programs for the event and is an organization that Warmbier Whitehouse has enjoyed working with over the years.
“The Salvation Army has a phrase they use which is: ‘Doing the most good.’ They are always helping as many people as they can, and it is also important to me that the money collected stays local. The Salvation Army ensures that will happen, and this money will go to those in need in our area.”
Warmbier Whitehouse was a nurse by trade, but she is not a stranger to performing and to music. This will be the fourth time she has directed a performance on Patriots Day and is the founder of the Ridgway Concert Choir (now the Concert Choir of Elk County directed by Gloria Almquist-Shull).
“From a young age, my mother showed me the importance of loving our nation, loving the arts, and being faithful. I have been active heavily in music since the 1950’s.”
While she is excited about this performance, she has made mention that she hopes to be involved once again in the 25th-anniversary concert for Patriots Day which would mark her fifth time as an organizer for this event. Fortunately, she has had help from Rev. Christopher McCloskey of the Brockway Presbyterian Church and her longtime friend Gloria Elmquist who has become her co-director for the choir.
“We have been rehearsing once a week since the end of June, and I just wanted to take some time to give credit to all of the performers who have taken time out of their busy lives to be a part of this performance. It is a special tribute to help honor those first responders who went to work one day and never came home. Those folks truly paid the ultimate sacrifice.”
Some of the numbers that will be played include The Star-Spangled Banner, The Lord’s Prayer, Taps, Kyrie from Memorial, On This Day, Sea to Shining Sea, Prayer for Our Times, The National Anthem, and Band of Brothers.
Taps will be played on a flute rather than on a bugle with attendees who served in the armed forces or family members of those in the armed forces being asked to stand for this song. The Lord’s Prayer will be played and sung by Chrissy Myers in honor of military members who most recently lost their lives in the Middle East.
The performance will also feature special guest appearances from local musical talent including performances from Matthew Bridgman, Kathy Fair, John Sensor, Dr. Paul Fehrenbach, Rev. J. Stephen Fair, Rev. Christopher McCloskey, Chrissy Myers, Bob Cherubini, and other special performances and musical numbers.
For more information, contact Barb Warmbier Whitehouse at bawarmbier61@gmail.com.
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